Manufacture or treatment of textile and other materials



Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT FEiCE MANUFACTURE onTREATMENT or 'rnx'rnn AND o'rmsa MATERIALS Edgar Bertie Johnson andRobert Pierce Roberts, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors toCelanese Corporation of tion of Delaware America, a corpora- 13 Claims.

This, invention relates to the manufacture or treatment of textile andother materials to modify their properties or appearance, and hasparticular reference to the treatment of filaments, threads, yarns andthe like of organic derivatives of cellulose and fabrics containing thesame, in order to reduce or destroy their lustre.

According to the present invention, the lustre of textile and othermaterials made of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose, andespecially filaments, threads, yarns and like materials and fabricscontaining the same is reduced by subjecting such materials containingan oil, fat or the like and in a substantially dry condition, to theaction of heat. The materials treated may be made of or may containorganic esters or others of cellulose, either simple or mixed or mixedether-esters. Examples of cellulose esters are, cellulose formate,cellulose acetate and cellulose propionate, whilst cellulose ethersinclude methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

Vegetable oils are found to give very satisfactory results in thepresent connection, and

especially oils of cocoanut and like origin. In

particular, cocoanut oil itself has been found in practice to beeminently suitable in the present connection.

It is preferred-to incorporate the oil, fat or the like into the textilematerial by making it one of the ingredients of the solution from whichfilaments are spun by a Wet or dry spinning process. In a method ofcarrying this out which has been found particularly convenient inpractice, and productive of very satisfactory results the oil, fat orthe like is added to and well mixed with a cellulose derivative spinningsolution which is then spun into an evaporative atmosphere; thuscocoanut oil may be added to an acetone solution of cellulose acetate.spinning the filaments emerging from the spinning apparatus aresubstantially free from moisture, but where a wet spinning process isinvolved, or where the filaments or yarn undergo a treatment involvingthe presence of moisture, or are moist for any other reason, suchmoisture should be driven off before the application of heat fordelustring the materials in accordance with the present invention. Thisdrying may conveniently be effected, for example, by passing thematerials through a jacket or chamber warmed by steam or electricalmeans, or by directing warmed air upon them.

Other methods of incorporating the oil, fat or the like than by makingit one of the ingredients In the case of dry of the spinning solutionmay, however, be employed. Whatever method is adopted the oil, fat orthe like may be incorporated as such or in the form of solutions oremulsions.

The application of heat to the treated material 5 in accordance with theinvention may be made in various ways. Most conveniently, however, thematerials are brought into contact with a heated surface, for example ahollow rod or roller internally heated by steam or electrical means. The10 filaments or yarn containing the oil are passed over or around one ormore of such rods or rollers, or between one or more pairs of hollownipping rollers, either or both rollers of each pair being internallyheated. This heat treat- 15 ment is conveniently applied to thematerials immediately or shortly after their formation, and in caseswhere the oil is incorporated in a spinning solution from whichfilaments are dry spun by extrusion into an evaporative atmosphere, the20 substantially dry filaments emerging from the spinning apparatus maybe passed around one or more heated rollers during their travel to acaptwisting or other filament-associating device.

The temperature to which the materials are 25 subjected during the heattreatment is naturally limited by the temperature at which they melt.When a textile material, e. g. a filament, yarn or fabric, is treated,temperatures of about 210 0. should not be exceeded if stiffening is tobe avoided unless the material contains substances adapt- 30 ed to raiseits sticking point. Usually temperatures of about to 210 C. andparticularly 180 to 200 C. are efficacious.

It has been found that a heat treatment ao- 35 cording to the inventionmay not be accompanied by an immediate loss of lustre in the materials,but that a gradual and progressive diminution in lustre may be initiatedby such treatment. For example, it has been observed, 40 on applyingheat to filaments of cellulose acetate containing about 10% of cocoanutoil, that no appreciable delustring is apparent immediately after suchtre'atmenhbut that the materials gradually lose lustre, on standing overa period 45 'of a day or more.

The actual quantity of oil applied to the materials may be, for example,5 to 15% by weight relative to the cellulose derivative present,quantities of about 10% being particularly ad- 50 vantageous.

Whilst it has been found possible, by treating filaments, yarns andfabrics in accordance with the present invention, to reduce their lustreto such an extent that they present an entirely 55 dull matt appearance,it has also been discovered that the presence of moisture on thematerials during the heating step reduces or nullifies the dullingeffect of the heat. Further, it is even possible to renew the lustre, onmaterials which have been dulled in accordance with the presentinvention, by moistening the materials and reheating them, and theinvention extends to such subsidiary operations.

It will therefore be realized that the degree of delustring produced bythe present process may be controlled not only by regulating the degreeof heating of the materials, but also by regulating the amount ofmoisture present when such heat is applied. Further, by varying themoisture present at different parts of filaments, yarns or fabrics, thedegree of delustring produced will vary in such different parts, wherebyvery pleasing differential-lustre effects may be obtained.

For example, moisture may be intermittently applied to travellingfilaments or yarns, as by a rotating moistening device having adiscontinuous surface, or by moving the material into and out of contactwith a moistening device by means of an oscillating guide or rotatingcam. Alternatively, in the case of a fabric, moisture may be applied topre-selected areas thereof with the aid of a stencil. By applying heatto the materials so treated the lustre of the dry portions only thereofmay be reduced, or, in cases where the entire material has already beenuniformly delustred in accordance with the present invention before suchnioistening, the moist parts thereof will regain their lustre. In eithercase differential-lustre effects are produced on the fabric or yarns sotreated, or on fabric subsequently produced from such yarns.

The following example illustrates a convenient method of carrying outthe process of the invention, but it is to be understood that thisexample is given solely by way of illustration and is in no waylimitative.

Example Cocoanut oil is added to a 25% solution of cellulose acetate ina solvent mixture consisting of 95% acetone and 5% methyl alcohol inquantity equal to on the weight of the cellulose acetate and theproduct, after thorough mixing, is spun into an evaporative atmosphere.

The filaments leaving the spinning cabinet are fed, in their travel to acap-twisting apparatus, first around a feed roller and then around aroller heated internally to a temperature of about 195 C. By adjustingthe speeds of the feed roller and heated roller any desired stretch maybe applied to the filaments.

The yarn formed, after storage for a day, is of matt appearance.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials, comprising an organic derivative of cellulose, of low lustre,which comprises subjecting such materials, while containing anoleaginous substance and in a substantially dry condition, to the actionof heat until a loss of lustre occurs at least after standing, the heattreatment being insuificient to vaporize the oleaginous substance fromthe materials.

2. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into a coagulatingmedium a solution containing an organic de rivative of cellulose and anoleaginous substance, and subjecting to the action of heat while in asubstantially dry condition filaments so produced until a loss of lustrein the filaments occurs at least after standing, the heat treatmentbeing insufficientto vaporize the oleaginous substance from thefilaments.

3. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing an organic derivative of cellulose anda vegetable oil, and subjecting to the action of heat while in asubstantially dry condition filaments so produced until a loss of lustrein the filaments occurs at least after standing, the heat treatmentbeing insufficient to vaporize the vegetable oil from the filaments.

4. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing an organic derivative of cellulose and5 to of cocoanut oil, and subjecting to the action of heat attemperatures of 160 to 210 C. while in a substantially dry conditionfilaments so produced until a loss of lustre in the filaments occurs atleast after standing, the heat treatment being insufiicient to vaporizethe cocoanut oil from the filaments.

5. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials, comprising cellulose acetate, of low lustre, which comprisessubjecting such materials, while containing an oleaginous substance andin a substantially dry condition, to the action of heat until a loss oflustre occurs at least after standing, the heat treatment beinginsufficient to vaporize the oleaginous substance from the materials.

6. Method of producing filaments, threads. yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into .a coagulatingmedium a solution containing cellulose acetate and an oleaginoussubstance, and subjecting to the action of heat while in a substantiallydry condition filaments so produced until a loss of lustre in thefilaments occurs at least after standing, the heat treatment beinginsufilcient to vaporize the oleaginous substance from the filaments.

7. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing cellulose acetate and an oleaginoussubstance, and subjecting to the action of heat while in a substantiallydry condition filaments so produced until a loss of lustre in thefilaments occurs at least after standing, the heat treatment beinginsufficient to vaporize the oleaginous substance from the filaments.

8. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing cellulose acetate and a vegetable oil,and subjecting to the action of heat while in substantially drycondition filaments so produced until a loss of lustre in the filamentsoccurs at least after standing, the heat treatment being insufficient tovaporize the vegetable oil from the filaments.

9. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing cellulose acetate and cocoanut oil,.and subjecting to the action of heat while in a substantially drycondition filaments sov produced until a loss of lustre in the filamentsoccurs at least after standing, the heat treatment being insufficient tovaporize the cocoanut oil from the filaments.

10. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing cellulose acetate and to 15% ofcocoanut oil, and subjecting to the action of heat while in asubstantially dry condition filaments so produced until a loss of lustrein the filaments occurs at least after standing, the heat treatmentbeing insufiicient to vaporize the cocoanut oil from the filaments.

ment being insufiicient to vaporize the vegetable oil from thefilaments.

12. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing cellulose acetate and cocoanut oil, andsubjecting to the action of heat at temperatures of 160 to 210 C. whilein a substantially dry condition, filaments so produced until a loss oflustre in the filaments occurs at least after standing, the heattreatment being insufiicient to vaporize the cocoanut oil from thefilaments.

13. Method of producing filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics and othermaterials of low lustre, which comprises extruding into an evaporativeatmosphere a solution containing cellulose acetate and 5 to 15% ofcocoanut oil, and subjecting to the action of heat at temperatures of160 to 210 0., while in a substantially dry condition, filaments soproduced until a loss of lustre in the filaments occurs at least afterstanding, the heat treatment being insumcient to vaporize the cocoanutoil from the filaments.

EDGAR BERTIE JOHNSON. ROBERT PIERCE ROBERTS.

